How you can prevent cyber security attack
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When people join an online service or social network, many hit the "Agree" button without reading the "Terms and Conditions" fine print.
The immediate connection they get through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is so appealing that it wins out in the trade-off with personal privacy. But that habit can come back to haunt them.
"How many of you who are reading this article have actually gone into your Facebook privacy settings and chosen what they should be, rather than accepting the default the company has set for you? It's not that complicated," says Hemu Nigam, a 20-year veteran in the field of online security. "You have to be the defender of your own privacy. You're the best defender there is."
Mr. Nigam is the founder and CEO of SSP Blue, a firm that advises companies and governments about online safety, security and privacy. Mr. Nigam was chief security officer for News Corporation's online properties, including MySpace, from 2006 to 2010.
"People treat online and offline differently. The online world is just another part of your physical being," says Mr. Nigam. People use more caution in sharing things about themselves with casual acquaintances or strangers they meet. "For some reason when people go online, they leave that at the door, without understanding that they're still operating in the real world. The moment people understand that they're one and the same, that assessment process won't be checked at the door."
People are "pretty clueless" about how much information they're putting online, says identity theft speaker and author John Sileo. He's the author of "Stolen Lives: Identity Theft Prevention Made Simple" -- a subject he knows firsthand: He was a victim of identity theft. His website (thinklikeaspy.com) offers advice and resources on preventing identity and data theft.
"Everything you put out there is public. You might think it's private, but it's not," Mr. Sileo says. "It's going to come out at some point. If it's digital, it's public. It's permanent, it's backed up, it's re-tweeted, and it's exploitable."
For example, a person who types in "depression" at Dictionary.com might start seeing ads for depression medications. Someone doing a search on credit problems might start getting online credit card offers at the highest interest rates.
First Published December 1, 2010 12:00 am
